LONDON — The International Bar Association’s (IBA) ESG Accelerator Training Programme, focused on the legal profession in Africa, has concluded after attracting more than 1,500 registrations from over 115 countries. The six-month program, which began in October 2024, aimed to equip lawyers with essential knowledge on sustainability issues impacting daily legal practice.
The environmental, social and governance (ESG) program featured insights from experts in private practice, civil society and business across numerous African jurisdictions, including Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.
Caliis Badoo, former Chair of the IBA African Regional Forum, emphasized the growing importance of ESG literacy for legal professionals. “In a world of escalating climate change and biodiversity risks, and rising expectations among regulators, consumers and investors on organizations to act in a sustainable way, every lawyer — whether in-house or external advisors and across every practice area — benefits from understanding the legal ESG landscape,” Badoo said. He expressed pleasure in launching the program in 2024 and helping “cultivate a community of legal practitioners who are enthusiastic about expanding their knowledge of this critical dimension of legal practice.”
Badoo extended gratitude to Webber Wentzel, the IBA Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law Section, the IBA Business Human Rights Committee and the IBA Legal Policy & Research Unit for their support, acknowledging the many attendees who contributed to the program’s global success.
Across seven webinars, the ESG program delved into various topics related to integrating sustainability efforts into legal practice, including ESG disclosures, reporting and due diligence, ESG litigation trends, sustainable finance, climate change, nature and just transition, business and human rights, and governance.
Dr. Babatunde Ajibade, SAN, FCIArb, Managing Partner of S. P. A. Ajibade & Co and Chair of the IBA Section on Public and Professional Interest (SPPI), underscored the program’s goal of empowering lawyers to identify key ESG issues in their practice. “It was fantastic to see so many practitioners from across the globe attend and contribute to each session,” Ajibade said. He encouraged practitioners to access the online sessions and consider how to embed ESG into their daily practice, noting that the IBA’s 2025 conference program includes additional events centered on sustainability in the legal profession.
The ESG Accelerator Training Programme is part of the IBA’s broader efforts to address the climate crisis and promote constructive change within the legal profession. Other recent initiatives include the IBA Climate Registry, a knowledge-sharing platform for bar associations, and a roundtable that gathered over 70 representatives from nearly 50 bar associations to discuss climate initiatives.
Garyn Rapson, Partner at Webber Wentzel, and Emily Gammon, Knowledge Lawyer at Webber Wentzel, highlighted the increasing demand from clients across Africa for advice on the “financial, reputational and legal consequences of ESG risks and opportunities.” They noted that ongoing training and upskilling are crucial to harness local expertise in this rapidly developing legal area. “As Webber Wentzel, we were proud to support the IBA in delivering its Africa-focused ESG Accelerator Programme, and to moderate several of the panels,” they said, praising the “high calibre of speakers and engagement of attendees.”
The IBA plans to continue supporting efforts to raise awareness among legal professionals about integrating sustainability into legal practice. Upcoming events include a webinar on “Championing sustainability in changing times: how can law firms adapt and thrive?” on June 3, and two conferences in Paris: “ESG Primer: levelling up technical expertise in sustainability reporting and due diligence” on June 18; and “ESG: The Brussels effect at a crossroads” on June 19-20.
